GK Papua New Guinea Great Adventure Tour By GERARD JOSEPH C MUSA III
Geheru Stage 6 was once known as the darkest corner of Port Moresby where not even the locals and government officials would set foot in. Last year, I found myself living with the families of this once notorious community. Having had the privilege to eat with them, sleep in the same house and live the way they lived has been one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I felt so safe knowing that I was amongst families who looked after me, took care of me and now extended the love they once lost but have rediscovered through Gawad Kalinga.
One of the most amazing times in the village wasn’t only the welcoming presentations, or the great food, or the amazing race, or the camping, or hunting wallabies and wild boars, or having R&R in the beach front accommodation, or scanning the horizon on top of a mountain called “Nipple Hill”, rather it was a time when I had a “wan tok” (a conversation between individual/s who shared something in common) with one of the beneficiaries. He said “It’s great that you have come and visited us here, even though you’re not from this country or from this village. Because you have given us something more valuable than money, you filled our hearts with dignity and that will never fade. Yes, we can see our homes built, our kids provided with education, us going through values formation and giving us a decent livelihood, but this may be taken for granted later on. So, by you coming over here every year, keeps our hopes up to continue our transformation for the better.” This comes to prove that money isn’t everything, by giving care to people, by putting the effort to help them, by sacrificing our time to be with them, is a thousand fold more, if not a million, far more valuable than what money can offer.
From a place that was struggling to come together and now a peaceful unified community is a transformation that is priceless, all thanks to GK. This village now helps each other, builds each others homes, shares their harvest, looks out for one another, respects each other and prays together (despite their different religious beliefs). More and more, I felt the privilege given to us (through GK), especially when we visited the High Commissioner of Australia himself and after hearing our stories about how GK works and what GK is doing in Port Moresby. He told us, “If you (GK) can do it there, you can do it anywhere”.
“We (GK) can do it anywhere” will always be a reminder to me – as a GK volunteer – to continue this GK great adventure, not only in Papua New Guinea or the Philippines, but to every poverty-stricken-area around the world. “Doing” is the hardest part for it will test our commitment to those in need and our perseverance to all the challenges that we will encounter. As a Catholic, all of these trials will pass for I believe God will see it through with me. As an individual, I am proud to say that GK really is the hope of the poor in action and it’s about time that the opportunity is finally here to sustain the global community out of poverty.
*** Please visit our GK Youth Australia Photo Gallery for photos of the GK PNG GAT ***
